As the old saying goes, there are three certainties in life: death, taxes, and getting a tax refund. OK, the refund isn't actually a certainty. But if you are lucky enough to get one this year, Steve and Caleb suggest spending it on a new red dot optic. They've picked out FIVE excellent candidates.

1. The EOTech HWS is technically a holographic sight, but c'mon, its reticle is a red dot. And it is a longproven, triedandtrue system. Because of its holographic technology, the EOTech XPS3 has a fine, crisp dot smaller than 2 MOA. Definitely built exclusively for use on long guns, and definitely proven to take a lotta knocks and bangs in adverse conditions. Much like choosing IBM in the 1960s, you can't go wrong with an EOTech!

2. Also meant for rifle use, the Aimpoint Duty RDS is a true red dot sight, so the dot can't be smaller than 2 MOA. That's just fine for a wide variety of applications. If you're looking for a wellbuilt, durable sight with high(er)end performance, but your tax refund isn't big enough to cover a highend price, the Aimpoint Duty RDS is the optic to get.

3. Aimpoint's Acro P2 is designed primarily for use on pistols, but you can get an M1913 Picatinny adapter for putting it on a shotgun, AR15, or other rifle. The Acro P2 is built to take the vigorous snap of recoil in stride. Aimpoint torturetested one with 20,000 rounds of .40 S&W, and that P2 kept on tickin'. It has a 3 MOA dot, easytooperate buttons, and a battery you can change without taking the sight off the gun. Not that you need to change that CR2032 very often because average battery life is 5 YEARS.

4. The Trijicon RMR sight is the gold standard of micro red dot sights for pistols. The RMR is so popular that there's a ton of mounts and adapters available for it. Many aftermarket slides and complete pistols now come from the factory with an RMR mounting slot. Plus, the rugged RMR is built to stand up to hard use.

5. Holosun red dot sights are surprisingly AFFORDABLE, but they don't skimp on robustness, features, and quality. The "deck" of the Holosun EPS (Enclosed Pistol Sight) is so low you can use it in conjunction with standardheight iron sights. No need to spend the extra spondulicks for suppressorheight sights. The EPS MRS model has a solar panel on top, so you're not draining your battery when there's bright ambient light. Red or green reticles in various dot sizes are available. All EPS sights fit a Shield RMS mount. Plus, they come with an adapter plate for mounting to an RMR mount. The EPS Carry model fits ONLY the RMS footprint.